Selective schema matching

Abstract

A system that automatically matches schema elements is provided. In one aspect, given a selected element of one schema, the system can calculate the best matching candidate elements of another schema. The calculation can be based on a heuristic combination of factors, such as element names, element types, schema structure, existing matches, and the history of actions taken by the user. Accordingly, the best candidate (according to the calculation) can be emphasized and/or highlighted. The tool can auto-scroll to the best choice. Similarly, the user can request the calculation and display to best candidates by pressing a keyboard key or hot key. As well, the user can prompt display of the best candidates by using the mouse (e.g., moving the mouse over the element E or clicking on E), or both (e.g., mouse over with hot key depressed).

1 . A system that facilitates automatically matching schema elements, comprising: 
 a receiving component that receives a selection of a first element that is a component of a first schema; and    a match component that automatically matches the first element to a second element is a component of a second schema.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , the match component automatically matches the first element to a third element of the second schema.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mapping component that generates one or more heuristically-based matches between the first element and one or more elements of the second schema; the match component facilitates function key navigation between the one or more matches.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , the mapping component ranks one or more matches based at least in part upon one of textual similarity, structural similarity, type and history of user actions.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , the structural similarity is based at least in part upon a distance score; the distance score is based at least in part upon a number of neighbors of a candidate that are linked via a current mapping to neighbors of the first element.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , the match component emphasizes a top-ranked match based at least in part upon predefined match criteria.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a selection component that facilitates scrolling through the one or more matches and selecting a desired match.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that infers an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.  
   
   
       9 . A computer-implemented method of matching schema elements, comprising: 
 receiving a selection that corresponds to a first element in a first schema;    automatically matching the first element to one or more elements in one or more disparate schemas; and    navigating through the one or more matches.    
   
   
       10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , the act of navigating is enabled via at least one of a keyboard and a pointing device.  
   
   
       11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising heuristically matching the first element to one or more elements related to the second schema.  
   
   
       12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising ranking one or more matches based at least in part upon textual similarity, structural similarity, type and history of user actions.  
   
   
       13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , further comprising tokenizing the first element to facilitate matching to the one or more elements of the second schema.  
   
   
       14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , further comprising emphasizing a top-ranked match based at least in part upon predefined match criteria.  
   
   
       15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , the act of emphasizing includes at least one of highlighting the best match, coloring the best match, labeling the best match and conspicuously denoting a line characteristic of the best match.  
   
   
       16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , the line characteristic is at least one of color, thickness, shape and style.  
   
   
       17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , further comprising navigating through the one or more matches and selecting at least one of the one or more matches.  
   
   
       18 . A computer-executable system that facilitates selective schema matching, comprising: 
 computer-implemented means for selecting a first set of elements of a first schema;    computer-implemented means for automatically matching the first set of elements with a second set of elements of a second schema; and    computer-implemented means for rendering a hierarchical representation of the matches that highlights a subset of the matches based at least in part upon a matching algorithm.    
   
   
       19 . The computer-executable system of  claim 18 , further comprising computer-implemented means for traversing through the matches and means for selecting at least one of the matches.  
   
   
       20 . The computer-executable system of  claim 18 , further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that employs a probabilistic-based analysis to infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.